The west-side access corridor along the
Portelance and Gervais road system is quiet, right now.
Anyone traveling up that way is not likely to encounter any forestry
traffic until the second half of July. And that makes the drive less
nerve-wracking and a little safer.

The delay in completion of the Sudbury
Forest's management plan halted forestry operations at the end of
March, though there is still some hauling of timber cut during the
winter, says Doug Maki, a forester at
Vermilion Forest Management.

The roads are still open and recreationists
and prospectors will be on them. The Fraleck bridge over the Wanapitei
River (see the
Ishpatina road access map) will be closed by MNR for repairs for
much of June. Check with Jessie Leverre of MNR in Sudbury
(705-564-7867 or
jesse.leverre@ontario.ca) on its status.

The Sturgeon River bridge crossing to be
constructed north of Paul Lake may happen this fall as cutting east of
the Sturgeon, between Regan and Selkirk lakes, will be in the new
forest management plan, headed for approval in July. Gervais Lumber
wants to get at that timber this winter.

The bridge, approved in the last plan, will
not be open to motorized traffic by the public and will have a gate
across it, Maki says. A new road system east of the Sturgeon will cut
south immediately past the river off the existing Hamlow Lake Road
(aka Portelance Road). The new road will be gated at the existing road
as it is not a "traditional" road.

However, traffic will continue east of the
Sturgeon by vehicles that ford the shallows in the river just south of
the bridge location. Hikers and mountain bikers will be able to use
the bridge, including those heading overland to climb Ishpatina.

APRIL 27,
2010

The Route Less TraveledBy Chris Melanson

Friends of Temagami

I have been considering many of the so-called “lost routes,”
the once-used nastawgan,
in Temagami for quite a few years now. Somehow a few
untrammeled areas have managed to somehow endure, despite the
constant pressure of development, access and extractive
land-use. It is a particularly rare thing in this day and age,
that one may yet take a treasure map and embark upon a mission
of high adventure, filled with questions, unknowns about The
Land and mysteries of the past. They are one of the region’s
great attractions.

Lest anyone construe that The Land is traversed in routes just
waiting to arise from 50 or 150 years of growth, be assured
that this is not the case. There are yet a few routes though,
that with a bit of time and patience, sweat and suffering, may
yet be found. It is with some reluctance, and perhaps a bit of
selfishness, that I compose this. But it has come to light
recently, perhaps in part due to my own actions, that there
seems to be a renewed interest in this type of activity.
Please do not infer from this writing that I am in any way an
expert in the art of way-finding, for this is certainly not
the case. In fact, had it not been for the GPS, I might have
lost both my canoe and duffle, and probably myself, on some
bit trail that was in fact not.

However, in spite of whatever else is lacking, I would like to
relay the following notes: This is not a game for those who
are planning a typical backcountry-style canoe trip. The route
will be very difficult, obscure at best and the way-markers
may have long fallen away to age, growth or the boot of
industrial man. Camping may be very poor and improvisation
will be required and one may have to make do with whatever is
at hand. One should also be willing to spend days looking for
that trail; trying either end, and if neither reveals the path
– be willing to make your way through with gentle respect for
The Land. Look closely for those way markers and be wary of
“turning-trees,” flag and re-flag as required and go back to
remove what is not essential to navigation. Be willing to
throw away hours or days, mark softly and walk softly. The
trail will be where it needs to be, not where you think it
should be or where any map says it is.

The last thing that anybody should want is to see a historic
route become trashed, lost to a hastily pushed line, or
graphitized in unnecessary blazes and miles of flagging tape.
Best to leave it alone, should that be your intent, skill or
allotted time available for such a task.

This is not an activity for the brash, the impatient or those
interested in “doing the distance.” Nor will there be any
glory waiting on the other side. For those plan-makers and
bureaucrats that have become somehow entrusted with The Land
may very well ignore your efforts, refute the validity and
importance of your discovery and dismiss all of your concerns
due to an apparent lack of lineage and for their own
convenience. However, perhaps all is not lost on this end, for
that part of the trail still lies before us…

Lakes and rivers should be at flood stage,
bursting with snow melt. But they aren't.

Word has travelled out of Lake Temagami that
the lake may be down as much as two feet. In part, there was too
little snow this winter, but Lake Temagami is also controlled by the
Cross Lake Dam and that surely has played a big role.

I spent a week on the west side of Temagami
and both the Wanapitei and Sturgeon rivers are flowing fast. They are
probably close to the level they were at the end of June, 2008, after
extremely heavy rains. All the backcountry lakes I saw were full,
water lapping at roots or branches of shoreline trees.

How good or bad the water conditions will be
this summer is not yet written in granite.

I did see a great blue heron, many ducks, and
ravens, but there were not yet any songbirds. Bob Farr tells me geese
have been flying in V-formation over Lake Temagami.

On those days when the temperature got above
10 C, there was the odd mosquito, but none were biting. One confused
horsefly did pay a visit.

APRIL 1,
2010

Fire bans in North Bay area

This great weather has a downside: fire risk.
North Bay and some neighbouring municipalities have
reacted with fire bans.

"This is definitely the first time I can
recall a fire ban this early in the year," North Bay fire chief Grant
Love was quoted in the North Bay Nugget.

Though little known, spring prior to green-up
combined with dry leaves is normally a high fire-risk period in the
forest. Add to the lack of
rain, reduced winter snow, and warm weather and you have a
witch's brew.

APRIL 1,
2010

Domtar sells sawmills cutting Temagami timber

Domtar, one of largest forestry companies
operating in Temagami, sold its sawmill in Nairn Centre,
west of Sudbury, Domtar Lumber in Elk Lake, and a majority stake in Elk
Lake Planing Mill.

Domtar, one of Canada's
largest forest-products companies, sold these and its other six
money-losing sawmills to much smaller Vancouver-based
EACOM
Timber Corporation.The penny-stock company (ETR-X) listed on the
TSX Venture Exchange did $181 million in sales in 2008.

Nairn was idled for part of the winter. It
receives some of a portion of its timber from its Temagami limits,
mostly west of the Sturgeon River, and from Gervais Lumber, which
operates around the upper Sturgeon River area.

Gervais has been allocated timber in the
Solace Wildlands and has been clearcutting up to the west side of the
Sturgeon River.

Elk Lake saws jack pine and spruce cut by
Domtar Lumber and Liskeard Lumber. Their limits within Temagami are
mostly in the northern portion.